Is this really a Game?!

The Tier V team, equipped with their new items, prepared for the upcoming expeditions to the monster territories. The atmosphere in Doncaster was a mix of anticipation and tension as the leaders of allied territories gathered once again to discuss the strategy with their best combatants.

Reign, standing at the center of the war room, addressed the assembly, "We need to approach these monster territories with caution. Our goal is to establish alliances with intelligent monsters and eliminate threats where necessary. Each of you, use your strengths to the fullest."

The leaders nodded in agreement, their eyes reflecting determination. The joint expeditions were divided into teams, each assigned to a specific monster territory. The scouts had provided valuable information about the nature of these territories, including potential allies and formidable adversaries.

They were all going to split into multiple groups, each group being led by one or more Tier V combatants depending on the difficulty of the task. Some territories were large and had powerful monsters present, while other ones were smaller and not as strong.

Of course, they didn't all go at the same time, before the others were sent forward to go to the other territories, Reign wanted to see what changes they had to persuade the monsters to join them.

The first expedition, led by Reign and Wolf, ventured into a territory rumored to be home to a tribe of intelligent serpentine creatures known as the Coilborne. These creatures were skilled in both magic and combat, making them formidable potential allies.

As they entered the territory, the landscape transformed into a dense jungle. The air was heavy with humidity, and the distant hissing sounds hinted at the presence of the Coilborne. The team moved stealthily, utilizing the natural cover provided by the vegetation.

Wolf simply used his large sword to cut and smash any enemy that came near him as the rest of their group fought the best they could as they understood that Reign and Wolf were not going to babysit them.

This was a mission to gain a new ally, or to destroy a potential threat for Reign, but for them, it was also an opportunity to level up as the people with them had already reached the peak or high-grade of Tier IV.

Reign, wielding the Luminous Eclipse blades for the first time in an attempt to check them out, moved with a grace that defied the density of the jungle. The radiant glow of his blades cut through the foliage, creating an ethereal display of light. The Coilborne, initially cautious, observed the team from the shadows.

A negotiation ensued, facilitated by Reign and Wolf who spoke with the Coilborne with the help of the system. The alliance was delicate, hinging on mutual benefits. The Coilborne, intrigued by the team's prowess and the enchanted items they possessed, agreed to an alliance, pledging their magical abilities and knowledge of the territory as long as they were given help when they needed it, as well as access to some items they found interesting.

The success of the first expedition set a positive tone for the subsequent ones. Laura, armed with the Dark Cascade staff, led a team to a territory inhabited by spectral entities known as the Shadowkin. These beings, drawn to the power of darkness, were potential allies in the fight against other monstrous threats.

Tank, wielding Titan's Roar, spearheaded a mission to confront a monstrous horde that roamed freely without a defined territory. The colossal battleaxe cleaved through the horde, its sheer power causing shockwaves that disrupted the coordination of the monsters.

He switched between his two axes, using the Titan's Roar to first make his way through the horde, as well as when he faced against the two leaders of the horde, a low-grade Tier V, and a mid-grade Tier V monster.

Mia, with her Stormforged Grasp gauntlets, showcased unparalleled agility as she engaged in swift, lightning-fast strikes against a group of wyverns. The gauntlets enhanced her movements, allowing her to evade attacks effortlessly. 

Her frost powers were extremely effective against the wyverns as the cold air that was expelled from her and the frost appearing on their wings made many of them plummet down to the ground.

Greenie, armed with this new Warhammer, crushed through another horde. The Warhammer showed just why it was ranked as SSS+ as Greenie no monster was able to withstand his attacks among the monster horde.

Beast, wielding the new bow, led another team to enter a monster region. With his bow's power, he was able to cloak the entire team, making their trip relatively peaceful until they arrived deep in the territory. The monsters present were actually golems, and unfortunately, they were not the peaceful kind.

With a bow in hand, Beast and the other members of the group initiated a battle. With his keen eye, his tamed beasts, as well as his control over the wind, he was sniping down the golems that could pose a threat to the team before they started fighting against the leader.

The leader was a Golden Golem that was a mid-grade Tier V monster. Although weaker than Beast, the defense the golem had was almost impenetrable, except for a couple of areas that were not that well defended. With his experience and strength, Beast was able to quickly notice them, allowing him and the team to exploit its weaknesses.

With the joint efforts of the many teams and the allied forces, they began to reshape the dynamics of their region. Intelligent monsters, recognizing the strength and determination of the alliance, willingly entered into alliances, contributing their unique abilities and insights to the defense against roaming monsters.

However, not all expeditions were met with success. In a territory infested with twisted, corrupted creatures known as the Blightspawn, the alliance faced fierce resistance. Laura's Dark Cascade staff, while potent, struggled against the corrupting influence of the Blightspawn.

She had made her way there after meeting the Shadowkin, who were interested in an alliance.

Her demonic energy was also not as effective, and thanks to the fact the Blightspawn had multiple Tier Vs, the battle became a test of endurance, and the team had to retreat temporarily, acknowledging the need for a more strategic approach, as well as the need to bring more Tier Vs with them.

As the expeditions unfolded, Raziel's cryptic words echoed in Reign's mind. The system's influence and the mysteries surrounding the monster territories hinted at a deeper connection. The alliance was a necessary step, but the true nature of the system's objectives remained elusive.

Reign had become slightly distrustful of the system after he had made contact with many beings that disliked it. Raziel was obviously one that disliked the system, Cyrus, Jared, and his entire civilization that had actually created the system before being seemingly destroyed by it, as well as the fact that there existed several civilizations in the universe that were not friendly to the system.

If the system really was a part of the universe and had no ulterior motives, only present to help others to become stronger more easily, why would there be anyone who was against it?

Still, Reign knew that he was far too weak to actually even think of such things. At least, from what he knew, the system wasn't an enemy to him, Cyrus made that much clear to him, as did Raziel.

The new phases that were being implemented were there to weed out the weak and allow the strong and talented to shine. With the new monster territories, those that were like Reign would quickly notice that they could ally themselves with the monsters, allowing their forces to grow quickly and to possess more ways of fighting against enemies.

Those who were distrustful could use the territories to their advantage, thinking of them as nothing more than new spots to farm exp and items, a place similar to dungeons.

As far as dungeons went, the territories under Reign's control had plenty of them, it was simply unfortunate that every time Reign and the others stumbled upon one, it would turn out to be far too easy for them, which would mean the exp and rewards they would be given were simply not useful to them.

The random events and challenges had stopped a while ago as well and the system had deemed it enough. The events and challenges were actually still present, but they were no longer targeted at all regions, only those that the system deemed still weak and in dire need of becoming more powerful.

The challenges were opportunities to become more powerful quickly, but the events were dangerous, often being the bane of territories and causing the deaths of many people.

As far as Reign knew, right now, humanity had lost over 80% of its people. A whole 80% of humanity, billions of people, had died in the short span of a couple of months.

New York, for example, was a hellhole from what Shadow's father had told them.

The monsters that spawned there were strong but still not strong enough to completely eradicate all the people present in the beginning. One could find plenty of monsters who were below level 10 at the outskirts of the city at the start, but now, the weakest amongst them were Tier II monsters, and even they were a rarity as most were Tier III and IV.